East Syracuse man accused of making harassing call to Jefferson County lawyer

Watertown, NY -- An East Syracuse man is accused of making a harassing call to a lawyer who is representing a Jefferson County sheriff's deputy in a civil lawsuit, state troopers said today.

Rodney C. Sanford, 35, of East Syracuse, is charged with second-degree aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor. Sanford was arrested Tuesday by troopers.

On April 19, lawyer Charu Narang informed state police and media outlets that she was called by a man who made comments that would be inappropriate conduct if the caller was associated with law enforcement, troopers said.

The man said that Narang's vehicle would be stopped by Jefferson County deputies and that the caller would make it difficult for her to practice law in the state, troopers said.

Narang said that she had concern for retaliation in her handling of the deputy's civil case, troopers said.

The investigation led to Sanford, who was a former Watertown resident. Sanford told troopers that he made the telephone call based solely on his own decision. Sanford told troopers he made the call because he wanted to help his friends in the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, troopers said.

The investigation determined that Sanford had no ties to law enforcement and has no personal relationships with anyone in law enforcement. The investigation also determined
that no member of law enforcement, specifically from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, had any involvement in the call and that no official misconduct occurred, according to a state police news release.